| Maurice Ferre | |
|---|---|
| 32nd and 34th Mayor of Miami | |
| In office April 19, 1973 – August 17, 1973 |
|
| Preceded by | David T. Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | David T. Kennedy |
| In office November 8, 1973 – November 14, 1985 |
|
| Preceded by | David T. Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Xavier Suarez |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 91st District | |
| In office March 1967 – March 1968 |
|
| Preceded by | Richard R. Renick |
| Succeeded by | Richard R. Renick |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 23, 1935 Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Mercedes Ferre |
| Residence | Miami, Florida |
| Alma mater | University of Miami |
| Website | ferre2010.com |
Maurice A. Ferre (born June 23, 1935) is a former six-term Mayor of Miami. Ferre was the first United States mayor born in Puerto Rico and the first Hispanic Mayor of Miami. He was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2010 elections for the U.S. Senate seat for Florida vacated by Mel Martinez for the Democratic primary.
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Ferre, born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, was born into a wealthy Puerto Rican family. He was the son of businessman José Ferré and nephew of the former governor of Puerto Rico Luis A. Ferré. Ferre's father José visited Miami, Florida in the 1920s and wondered why the city did not have any tall buildings.[1] He then ventured into construction and real estate development in Miami. Ferre was born when José and his family returned to his hometown, Ponce in Puerto Rico.
Maurice Ferre served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1967–1968.[2] He served as mayor of Miami from 1973–1985.
From 1993 to 1996, Ferre was Vice-Chairman of the Dade County Board of Commissioners. He has been active in national political campaigns and he was a member of several presidential advisory boards. Ferre has also worked as a banker and business consultant and has held various research and teaching posts.
On December 20, 1995, Francisco Ferré Malaussena, Mariana Gomez de Ferre, and Felipe Antonio Ferre Gomez, the son, daughter-in-law, and grandson of Maurice Ferre, died when American Airlines Flight 965 crashed into a mountain in Colombia.[3][4]
In November 2001, Maurice Ferre lost his bid to be reelected Mayor of Miami.[5]
Ferre is on a fellowship at Princeton University and is writing a book about the contributions Hispanics have made to the American culture. Ferre is one of the driving forces behind the INTERMESTIC (stands for "International" – "Domestic") dialogue, which attempts to seek consensus regarding Puerto Rico's political status problem from an "international" as well as "domestic" point of view. He most recently spoke about this effort to deal with Puerto Rico's political status in an address to the Puerto Rico Senate as keynote speaker during the Governors' Day special session on February 16, 2006.[6]
In October 2009, he announced that he was running for the U.S. Senate seat from Florida.[7]